Indoor golf equipment



May 21, 1957 W INDOOR GOLF EQUIPMENT Filed May 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1BY y ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. A. SMITH INDOOR GOLF EQUIPMENT 3. m4 FE w a L 6 x2; 2: 2 x 4 3 D 2 4 2/ a J6 7 4 wm m mm m a a 5 2 M 9 4 5 5 fw \kr U i. 1. if z a May 21; 1957 Filed May 1'7, 1954 f 7 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent o INDOOR GOLF EQUIPMENT Luther A. Smith,Burlington, N. C.

Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,070 11 Claims. (Cl. 273-8.).2

This invention relates to indoor golf equipment and more particularly toa device for impelling or driving a 2,793,037 Patented May 21, 1957"ice.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readilyapparent in the following detailed description of the invention taken inconjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a device embodying the principlesof the invention and illustrates its external appearance;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the device shown in Figure 1;Figure 3 is an enlarged, partly sectional view of a preferred embodimentof the actuating mechanisarias sembled for a right-handed player, asseen with the front ball so that a game similar to golf may be played.The

invention constitutes an improvement upon the invention disclosed andclaimed in my prior Patent No. 2,399,711, issued May 7, 1946, for a BallImpelling Device.

This prior patent discloses a ball impellin-g device comprising ahousing adapted to be mounted in a substantially upright position, thehousing supporting a club or driving member and means for actuating thedriving member. In the operation of the prior patented device, the clubis caused to revolve about a fixed pivot under the camming action of anarcuate slot in an upper portion of the club and a pin in said slot,which may be manually reciprocated along the housing. The position ofthe pivot maybe adjusted to cause the club to strike the ball either ator below its horizontal median plane, but when actuated, the clubrotates about a fixed pivot.

-In distinction to the prior device, the present invention includesactuating means which causes the club to rotate on a pivot which is alsosubjected to a translational motion. The actuating means for effectingthis compound motion is, of course, substantially different from thatset forth in the prior patent. The actuating means of the presentinvention is reversible so that the apparatus may be assembled for useby either a righthanded or a left-handed person. The present inventionalso includes means for selecting the initial level of the club pivotwhich incorporates a unique arrangement for ensuring intimate, smoothand positive functioning of the elements of the actuating mechanism.Moreover, the device of the present invention includes a gauge wherebythe initial position of the ball with respect to the club may beaccurately selected, and in addition includes means for adjusting theangular relationship between the club and the actuating means. It willbecome apparent hereinafter that the present invention allows greatercontrol of the trajectory of the ball, responds more readily to theskill of the player and inspires more interest in the game.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention toprovide an improved object impelling device which may be employed tosimulate the game of golf.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a ball impellingdevice wherein the ball driving member executes a. compoundrotational-translational movement.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improvedactuating mechanism for moving an object impelling device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for drivingspherical objects wherein the path and initial position of the drivingmember and wherein the ini-j tial position of the spherical object maybe accurately determined.

-Still another object of the invention is to provide an actuatingmechanism for a ball driving device, which mechanism may beassembledreversibly to allow use of the device by either left-handed orright-handedpersons.

half of the housing removed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged, partly sectional view of the preferredactuating mechanism assembled for a left-'. handed player, as seen fromthe side with half of the housing broken away;

Figure 5 is a detail of the actuating mechanism taken along line 5-5 inFigure 4 and illustrating the scale. or gauge for positioning the ball;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of improved means for supportingthe actuating mechanism;

Figure 7 is a detail of a modified actuating mechanism including meanswhereby the angular position of the driving member may be adjusted; and

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the mo di-. fied actuatingmechanism of Figure 7 as seen from the front. 1

Referring to the drawings, the improved ba'll impelling device comprisesa tubular housing or stand generally esignated by reference numeral 10and formed in two identical sections 12, 14 as shown in Figure 2. Thesesections may be joined adhesively as well as by a pair of rivets 20 andmay be fixed adhesively within a shoulder 28 (see Figs. 3 and 4) of abase generally designated by reference numeral 24 and including portions26, 27 (see Figs. 2 and 5). The exact configurations of the housing andthe base are not critical, and these members serve primarily to supportand enclose the active elements of the invention. The housing ispreferably symmetrical, however.

A 'ball driving member or club 80 includes a shaft portion 82, a hubportion 84 and a head portion 88..

In Figure 1 the head 88 is illustrated in juxtaposition with a ball 90,which constitutes the object to be driven or impelled. The hub 84 issupported on a stub shazft $4 which passes through an elongated slot 16in the housing and which may be formed integrally with a pinion gear 52as seen in Figures 3 and 4. The hub is splined to the shaft 54, as bythe square key 58 illustratedin Figure 3, so that the driving member 80rotates as/a unit with the pinion 52. A bolt 56, which may 'be threadedinto the pinion, maintains the driving member on the shaft 54.

In the preferred form of the invention (Fig. 3) the pinion 52 issupported within a yoke 41 having identical halves 40 which may bejoined adhesively and by rivets 48.v Each half of the yoke is providedwith a bore through which the shaft 54 may be passed (see Figure 5). Theyoke is provided with upper and lower sleeve portions 42, 44, whichreceive the ends of shafts 36, 46,

. respectively. The shafts may be secured within the sleeves iiigportion 66. The extremity of the latter as by rivets 50. The upper shaft36 passes through a bore.22 in theupper, tapered portion of the housingand the exterior end of the shaft is providedwith a'knoib formed as asleeve to receive therewithin one end of a resilient member such asspring 72. The other end of the spring is supported by the base 24, andis positioned by a protuberance 32 which may be formed integrally withthe base. It can thus be appreciated that the rack is supportedresiliently within the housing 10 and is urged toan uppermost position.The end of lower shaft 46 and the resiliently mounted lateral extension62 of the rackprovide complementary bumper surfaces so that the pinionis' limited in its descent along the rack. Rivets 20, which engage yoke41 in its uppermost position limit the ascent of the pinion.

A pedal member 74 which extends exteriorly of the housing through a slot76 formed therein is formed with a pair of arm members 70, which aresuitably bored to receive the ends of a pin 68 which also passes throughthe depending portion 66 of the rack. A wedge 30, formed integrally withthe base, serves as a stop for the pedal and also strengthens the base.It will be appreciated that depression of the pedal will cause the rackto move downward against the bias of resilient member 72 to a lowerposition. In this manner the level of the point at which the head of theclub strikes the ball may be adjusted.

Referring to Figure 6, it can be seen that the bore formed in thedepending portion 66 to receive pin 68 forms an angle other than 90 withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the depending portion 66 and thelongitudinal axis of the housing 10. In the case illustrated thedivergence is 3. Because of this divergence, the pressure of spring 72,which may be as much as 10 to 15 pounds, urges rack 60 against thepinion 52 and presses yoke 41 against the inside of housing It).(Lateral portion 62 of the rack may be cut away as shown at 64 to allowthe rack to move freely.) This ensures intimate contact of the movingportions of the actuating mechanism and results in smooth operation ofthe apparatus as a whole. Moreover, because of the resultant frictionbetween the yoke and the housing, the club may be positively maintainedin any desire position along the path of its stroke. Yet the friction isnot sufiicient to impede the operation of the apparatus.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of the actuating mechanism.In this embodiment an auxiliary rack 39 is substituted for the pinionyoke 41 of Figures 3 and and a rack 61 of modified cross-section (asseen in Fig. 7) is substituted for rack 60. Racks 39 and 61 may besubstantially identical, and each has extensions, such as the extensions62, 66 of rack 60, to receive and secure the end of shaft 36 and thespring 72, respectively, as in Figure 3. The lower rack mounting mayinclude the tilted pin 68, in which event rack 61 will be .urged againstpinion 52, pinion 52 will be urged against rack 39, and rack 39 will beurged against the housing 10. A plurality of longitudinal ridges 63 maybe formed on the inner surfaces of housing 10 to co operate withcorresponding grooves formed in the racks to guide and position theracks. Pinion 52 is suspended between. the racks 39, 61 and may betermed floating.

While the pedal 74 may be depressed to adjust the height of the head ofclub 80 with respect to the ball 90, the lateral position of the ballwith respect to the pivot of the club may be gauged by the markings34'on the base, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 7. Moreover, the angularposition of the driving member 80 with respect to shaft 54 and pinionv52 may be adjusted if the driving member is splined to the shaft bycooperating serrated surfaces as indicated at 5.7 in Fig. 7. Thisarrangement can of course be employed with either embodiment of theactuating mechanism.

To simplify the construction and manufacture of the device of thepresentinvention all of the principal parts of. the invention. are formed fromplastic, materials (but, of course, other materials such as sheet metalmay be employed). This includes the housing, the base, the drivingmember, the bah and the actuating mechanism.

The halves 12 and 14 of housing 10 and the halves 40 of the yoke 41,respectively, may be pressed together by first softening juxtaposedsurfaces with a suitable plastic solvent, and the housing may be securedwithin the shoulder 28 of the base in a similar manner. The restrictiveeffect on the actuating mechanism of any burrs which may form when thehalves of the housing are joined may be eliminated if the yoke is shapedto provide a groove as at 43 in Fig. 5 and the racks of Fig. 7 aregrooved as at 65. The ball 90 may be formed with in dentations similarto those of the conventional golf ball and may be suitably decorated foridentification purposes. The impelling device and ball may have anyconvenient dimensions for example, 32 to 36 inches overall height forthe impelling device, and one inch diameter for the ball.

In the operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention, housing10 may be mounted in an upright position and a foot of the player may beplaced on the extension 27 of the base to stabilize the apparatus. Shaft36 may be manually adjusted until the club is in the position shown inFigure l. The ball may be placed opposite one of the markings of thegauge on the base so that the club will strike the ball at the bottom ofits stroke or as it is rising from the bottom. The height of the headwith respect to the ball may be ad justed by depressing the foot pedal74. In this manner the spin and elevational component of the trajectoryof the ball are determined.

When shaft 36 is drawn upward, the club will swing upward and away fromthe ball as pinion 52 rotates and moves upward along the rack. Whenshaft 36 is pushed downward by the player, the club will swing in adownward arc, about a constantly descending center, strike the ball, andcontinue in an upward are or follow-through which is limited by theengagement of lower shaft 4'6 with lateral extension 62 of rack 60. Theball will, of course, follow a path determined by the adjustmentsdescribed above and by the force with Whichthe shaft 36 is drivendownward.

The operation of the modification illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 will besubstantially the same as that described above. When shaft 36 is drivendownward, the resultant downward motion of rack 39 will cause thefloating pinion 52 to revolve and move downward along rack 61. It willbe noted that here, as in the operation of the preferred embodiment,head 88 of the club will describe an are about a center of rotationwhich is changing. In other words, the club 80 executes a compoundrotationaltranslational motion.

As illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the apparatus has been assembledfor a right-handed person. In Figure l a downward thrust of the knob 38will cause the club- 80 to rotate counterclockwise. In Figures 4, 5 and7 the actuating mechanism has been reversed so that a downward thrust onthe knob 38 will cause the club 80- to revolve in the opposite sense.Reversal of the actuating mechanism is facilitated by the symmetry ofthe housing 10, the yoke in Figure 5 and of the racks in Figure 6. Itwill be noted that the yoke and the racks conform to the shape of thehousing. Thus the yoke may be assembled to encompass the rack 60 on theright as shown in Figure 5, or the yoke and rack may be reversed so thatthe rack appears on the left. In Figures 7 and 8 the parts may bereversed so that the lower rack appears on the left and the upper rackon the right. Each of these reversals will cause the club to change itssense of rotation. The head 38 of the club may be formed with a pair ofrectangular bores to receive the rectangular end of shaft 82 so that thedirection of the head on the shaft may be reversed to correspond with.the placement of the actuating mechanism or separate left and right-handheads may be manufactured. In this manner the apparatusmay be assembledfor either righthanded or left-handed players, resulting inmanufacturing economy.

The embodiments shown and described are merely illustrative of theprinciples of the invention, and should not be construed as limiting.Modifications may be made in the apparatus without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for impelling objects, a stand adapted to be mounted in asubstantially upright position, an object impeller element, an actuatingshaft reciprocatively mounted on said stand, one end of said impellerelement being operatively connected to said shaft, and drive means forcausing said impeller element to rotate and to reciprocate with respectto said stand simultaneously in response to a single reciprocativeactuation of said shaft.

2. In a device for projecting objects, a tubular housing, means formounting said housing in an upright position, an elongated rack, meansfor mounting said rack longitudinally within said housing, a pinionengaging said rack, an object driving member, means connecting saiddriving member to said pinion for motion therewith, and actuator meansseparate from said rack for causing said pinion to move along said rackrelative to said housing, thereby to swing said driving member aboutsaid moving pinion as a center so that it has a compound rotary andtranslatory motion relative to said housing.

3. The device of claim 2, said last recited means comprising areciprocative yoke supporting said pinion.

4. The device of claim 3, said means for mounting said rack includingmeans for urging said rack toward said pinion and said yoke against saidhousing, whereby said rack and pinion are maintained in positiveengagement and said driving member may be maintained in a predeterminedposition.

5. The device of claim 2, said last recited means comprising a secondrack engaging said pinion.

6. The device of claim 5, said racks extending from opposite extremitiesof said housing and engaging said pinion at opposite sides thereof, saidpinion being suspended between said racks.

7. The device of claim 2, means for adjusting the longitudinal positionof said rack within said housing.

8. The device of claim 2, means for limiting the reciprocation of saidpinion.

9. The device of claim 2, said rack being adapted for mounting in saidhousing on either side of said pinion whereby said pinion may be rotatedin either direction for a given direction of motion along said rackdepending on which side of the pinion the rack is mounted.

10. The device of claim 2, further including means for adjusting theangular position of said driving member with respect to said pinion.

11. In a device for impelling a ball, a. stand adapted to be mounted ina substantially upright position, a ball driving club having a head endand a pivot end, a motive element supported on said stand forsimultaneous rotatory and reciprocatory motion with respect thereto,said pivot end being connected to said motive element for unitary motiontherewith, and a single actuator means operatively connected to saidmotive element for imparting said simultaneous motion to said element inresponse to a single actuation of said actuator means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS739,506 Purdum Sept. 22, 1903 945,484 Anderson Jan. 4, 1910 1,561,178McGrann Nov. 10, 1925 1,657,388 Gorman Jan. 24, 1928 1,739,468 KluthoDec. 10, 1929 2,399,711 Smith May 7, 1946 2,548,837 Wright Apr. 10, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS 362,066 Great Britain a- Dec. 3, 1931

